Best floor standing speaker for 4K

Interesting thread this. I'm no expert but I'd probably get the latest hifi magazines, audition all their top pics first and then if I don't like any of that lot start working through the rest of the list.

Remember hearing a story about a guy who worked in formula 1. Walked into the cornflake shop just of tottenham court road and said to the sales assistant I want to buy the most expensive hifi system you have. Sales assistant said the most expensive system we have is 80K but we'll set this system up that costs 8K and if you can't tell the difference then you are best of buying the 8K system. Always wanted to tell that story.
 
Interesting thread this. I'm no expert but I'd probably get the latest hifi magazines, audition all their top pics first and then if I don't like any of that lot start working through the rest of the list.

Remember hearing a story about a guy who worked in formula 1. Walked into the cornflake shop just of tottenham court road and said to the sales assistant I want to buy the most expensive hifi system you have. Sales assistant said the most expensive system we have is 80K but we'll set this system up that costs 8K and if you can't tell the difference then you are best of buying the 8K system. Always wanted to tell that story.

I am no expert in London Hifi shops either, but if had the money I would look around Grahams or KJ West ONE (the later one got my thumbs up for doing well when a order did not turn up at the expected time and they kept me informed along the process & they are just the best (IMO) for HiFi /home cinema in London. ...


Well if had 80K that would be a interesting thread and I would be tempted to go to Audio Physic and others ...

PS: Cornflakes is not my cup of tea and this might be down to a not so great audition I had recently, but I welcome your report which explains why staff at Cornflakes expects only cashloaded F1 people will show up.

In my case they kept me waiting for 20 min. in the reception area (with apointment booked two weeks in advance and the showroom was not prepared ....I don't remember that they were the most welcoming bunch either ). Well every shop gets a chance, but in this case I doubt that I will ever return.. Well on the positive site is they have decent equipment on show, but they never ever bothered to show their equipment at full potential and left me in there demo room alone, lights switched off and advised me not to view/listen too many DVDs/CDs.
Well could I tell more? No, I think I stop here and happily leave Cornflakes to the F1 .. clients ... Although, it is a shame that L.Hamilton is leaving the country. .
 
I am no expert in London Hifi shops either, but if had the money I would look around Grahams or KJ West ONE (the later one got my thumbs up for doing well when a order did not turn up at the expected time and they kept me informed along the process & they are just the best (IMO) for HiFi /home cinema in London. ...


Well if had 80K that would be a interting thread and I would be tempted to go to Audio Physic and others ...

PS: Cornflakes is not my cup of tea and this might be down to a not so great audition I had recently, but I welcome your report which explains why staff at Cornflakes expects only cashloaded F1 people will show up.

In my case they kept me waiting for 20 min. in the receptionn area (with apointment booked two weeks in advance and the showroom was not prepared ....I don't remember that they were the most welcoming bunch either ). Well every shop gets a chance, but in this case I doubt that I will ever return.. Well on the positive site is they have decent equipment on show, but they never ever bothered to show their equipment at full potential and left me in there demo room alone, lights switched off and advised me not to view to many DVDs/CDs. I think I stop here.

PSS: If I had 80K I would look here: Audio Physic

A friend at work told me the story one day so how true it is I don't know. I know I've read threads on here that some get home auditions of equipment in all honesty if your looking to spend 4K I would have thought it might be worth a local retailer travelling to you with a few sets of speakers that you are interested in so that you could audition them in your home, imagine acoustics in your environment would play a possible role in your decision. Like I say and you can see from my signature I'm not in the same league but I'm interested in people experiences with AV. In saying that I bought the best digital piano on the market as I knew it reproduced the best quality replication of an acoustic piano sound so I can in some respects appreciate good audio :thumbsup:
 
I would consider beauties like PMC OB1 / EB1 (not too sure of prices) or Acoustic Energy AE3 MkII.

Again, as has been said previously, a good demo (ideally in your own home) with components as close to yours as possible will show any of the magical synergy which makes a system come truly alive.

Good luck and happy auditioning.

Dobly
 
Certainly an off-the-wall idea:

Jamo R909

I've never heard Jamo speakers and been impressed, til the Bristol show when I heard these. Very smooth sound and the design makes for smooth and not overpowering bass but ovely and richly produced

Dan.
 
Certainly an off-the-wall idea:

Jamo R909

I've never heard Jamo speakers and been impressed, til the Bristol show when I heard these. Very smooth sound and the design makes for smooth and not overpowering bass but ovely and richly produced

Dan.


Very good suggestion. The Jamo fit the bill in several ways: a) they have the looks, b) nice sound and c) they will not sound boxy.

I add them to my shortlist.

So far I have on my list:
Dynaudio Contour S5.4 (I like the idea of this giant speaker -> hopefully it translates into big sound as well)
Jamo R909
MA Platinum (if I can find a shop that stocks them)
Pioneer S-1EX-QL (if I can find a shop that stocks them. KenG is there any Pioneer dealer near London that has a pair? Where did you see them?)
Sonus Faber (obvious choice for me,as SF owner and I know where to find the best demo in London as well)
 
Maybe a bit over 4K but I would look at Neat Acoustics,ultimatum range,simply divine sounding speakers,need a lot of juice,but boy are they worth the trouble.
 
Maybe a bit over 4K but I would look at Neat Acoustics,ultimatum range,simply divine sounding speakers,need a lot of juice,but boy are they worth the trouble.

Just had a look at their page and they have some very nice products. I loved especialy this one.
I might give them a try if I can find them in London.

Where have heard them? And what did you like about them nuttyboyz?

Thanks

Jens
 
Two more alternatives - disclosure, I am responsible for these brands!

Aerial Acoustics - circa £4k puts the Model 7B just about in grasp. The Model 6 is also very highly regarded and is circa £2.5k depending on finish.

Genelec - The 6040 floor stander is an interesting alternative to more traditional designs. It is made completely from cast aluminium and has great dynamics and timing. Remember ALL Genelecs are active so no need to add external amps to the £3300 per pair price.
 
Two more alternatives - disclosure, I am responsible for these brands!

Aerial Acoustics - circa £4k puts the Model 7B just about in grasp. The Model 6 is also very highly regarded and is circa £2.5k depending on finish.

Genelec - The 6040 floor stander is an interesting alternative to more traditional designs. It is made completely from cast aluminium and has great dynamics and timing. Remember ALL Genelecs are active so no need to add external amps to the £3300 per pair price.


Neil,

Thank you very much for your contribution. I am not familiar with Arial Acoustics/Genelec range. Do you have any hyperlinks and reviews for the beauties? Could you recommend any any dealer in London that stocks the Arial Acoustics/Genelec range.

Thanks again.


Thanks
 
Do you have any hyperlinks and reviews for the beauties?

Aerial = www.aerialacoustics.com
Genelec = www.genelec-ht.com

There are plenty of review links on the Aerial site for you to refer to.

Phil Hinton has had a 5.1 Genelec 6040 system in for review over the last couple of months which should appear online here soon - I think he liked them though ;)

I am probably already cutting it fine with forum rules posting this data so please excuse me for not posting dealer details openly.
 
I'd advise you contact Swiss Cottage branch of 7oaks directly and ask if/when they will have platinums in, i'll be surprised if they havnt already assuming the speakers are on general sale as the manager there i got to know very well over the last 4 years or so and he told me about MA producing these a while before any solid news was released (i was contemplating GS60's at the time but as i was buying an MF A5 amp he said to hold back to see what happened with the platinums)...

Swiss cottage branch are often very happy to tailor the demo around you, if its during the day then if they are booked they may have to limit to a few hours, but i've often done an evening demo session which essentially could go on as long as necessary (obviously down to the member of staff that does it and their own life out of work being the limiting factor)......if Richard still works there he is usually quite happy to do a long evenin session to give you the chance to get familiar with how the speakers work.....

not sure how they'd go in regards to a home demo on a pair of speakers like that, they might be willing to arrange something, although they'd certainly want an up front cash or c/c deposit in case anything is damaged, which i cant blame them for...lol.....the good news is if you become a regular customer they are very good at respecting you back with discounts or helpful setup type stuff....

sadly i was unemployed for the last year so havnt had chance to go in there, must pop in to say hello sometime...lol
 
Aerial = www.aerialacoustics.com
Genelec = www.genelec-ht.com

There are plenty of review links on the Aerial site for you to refer to.

Phil Hinton has had a 5.1 Genelec 6040 system in for review over the last couple of months which should appear online here soon - I think he liked them though ;)

I am probably already cutting it fine with forum rules posting this data so please excuse me for not posting dealer details openly.

Neil,

Thanks for the links.

The Aerial speakers look trully beautyfull and lets see what Phil has to say about the Genelecs. The more I look at for speakers the longer my To Do list gets, but that is what I intended. I didn't want to end up with the usual suspects (KEF, B&W , MA...).

Thanks again.
 
I'd advise you contact Swiss Cottage branch of 7oaks directly and ask if/when they will have platinums in, i'll be surprised if they havnt already assuming the speakers are on general sale as the manager there i got to know very well over the last 4 years or so and he told me about MA producing these a while before any solid news was released (i was contemplating GS60's at the time but as i was buying an MF A5 amp he said to hold back to see what happened with the platinums)...

Swiss cottage branch are often very happy to tailor the demo around you, if its during the day then if they are booked they may have to limit to a few hours, but i've often done an evening demo session which essentially could go on as long as necessary (obviously down to the member of staff that does it and their own life out of work being the limiting factor)......if Richard still works there he is usually quite happy to do a long evenin session to give you the chance to get familiar with how the speakers work.....

not sure how they'd go in regards to a home demo on a pair of speakers like that, they might be willing to arrange something, although they'd certainly want an up front cash or c/c deposit in case anything is damaged, which i cant blame them for...lol.....the good news is if you become a regular customer they are very good at respecting you back with discounts or helpful setup type stuff....

sadly i was unemployed for the last year so havnt had chance to go in there, must pop in to say hello sometime...lol


Thanks for your reply Knyght_byte. Helpful as always.

Seems that several 7Oaks branches have a good service. I might check with my branch(Cambridge), if they don't have the Platinum range I'll might try Swiss Cottage. They are not too far away.

PS: Sorry to hear that you are currently without job. Good luck with the job hunting. You have always been an outstanding member of the AV Forum and I wish you all the best for the future.
 
Just had a look at their page and they have some very nice products. I loved especialy this one.
I might give them a try if I can find them in London.

Where have heard them? And what did you like about them nuttyboyz?

Thanks

Jens

Hi Jens,

I just love the Neats sounds,they,to me don't make a bad range speakers,from the Motives,petites,Elites, the stunning new momentums,and the range topping Ultimatums there isn't a bad sounding speaker amongst them.

They just make music,highly detailed due to the super tweeters,engaging midrange,and superb isobaric bass loading,giving rich well controlled bass response,but they are extremely demanding on power,they suck juice so need alot of power.

The MF9,in the picture would be way over budget,I think they are about 9k,so I would try to hear some MFS on stands,or the MF5,which is more on budget.I too would chose Neat speakers over the usual recommendations and are sadly over looked:thumbsdow,but most people who take the time to track them down and hear the are usually impressed by the sonics,and build quality.
 
Hi Jens,

I just love the Neats sounds,they,to me don't make a bad range speakers,from the Motives,petites,Elites, the stunning new momentums,and the range topping Ultimatums there isn't a bad sounding speaker amongst them.

They just make music,highly detailed due to the super tweeters,engaging midrange,and superb isobaric bass loading,giving rich well controlled bass response,but they are extremely demanding on power,they suck juice so need alot of power.

The MF9,in the picture would be way over budget,I think they are about 9k,so I would try to hear some MFS on stands,or the MF5,which is more on budget.I too would chose Neat speakers over the usual recommendations and are sadly over looked:thumbsdow,but most people who take the time to track them down and hear the are usually impressed by the sonics,and build quality.

Thanks nuttyboyz for your reply,

Just figured out that Grahams in London have Neat on display. So I will give them a audition go based on your recommendation. I appreciate your recommendation.

MF9: I love big speakers. Maybe I go for something slighty above budget and I don't have to look for any speaker in the next ten years.

Thanks again
 
Audition the Wilson Benesch ACTs (£8k) as you can get these 2nd hand for about £5k. They are dynamic 3D and open like electrostatics, and with a great amp unbeatable (and British). My room dimensions are the same as yours and these are fab with any kind of music. Enjoy -
 
Im a dynaudio lover, demo'd some of their very expensive kit just because it was setup at local dealers and have been very impressed. I currently use the 72se as my main pair which is half the cost your looking at.

When I went thru the demo after demo process I found the shop demo was always so different to the home demo. I took home various speakers over a month or so and lived with them for around a week to be sure i bought the correct speaker for me, one or two pairs i took home and returned to the shop the very next day as they sounded dreadfull at home either that or I was fatigued by the sound very quickly.

Best advice is to find a decent dealer and borrow speakers off your short list at home for at least a week to demo in your own home under different conditions, you all know how it is, one day you come home not in the mood and tired the next full of energy, last thing you want is to spend this sort of money then after a few weeks discover you cant listen to them for long periods becasue they are fatiguing on your ears.
 
Audition the Wilson Benesch ACTs (£8k) as you can get these 2nd hand for about £5k. They are dynamic 3D and open like electrostatics, and with a great amp unbeatable (and British). My room dimensions are the same as yours and these are fab with any kind of music. Enjoy -


Hylton,
You are the second WB supporter. So far I had them always very low in my list simply because they are a) way over budget b) the specs somehow don’t justify the amount of money that WB is asking for.
On other side I was wrong before and I might follow your suggestion and give it a try. Where did listen to yours? The positive thing is that I will probably not look for any other speaker after that one.



Im a dynaudio lover, demo'd some of their very expensive kit just because it was setup at local dealers and have been very impressed. I currently use the 72se as my main pair which is half the cost your looking at.

When I went thru the demo after demo process I found the shop demo was always so different to the home demo. I took home various speakers over a month or so and lived with them for around a week to be sure i bought the correct speaker for me, one or two pairs i took home and returned to the shop the very next day as they sounded dreadfull at home either that or I was fatigued by the sound very quickly.

Best advice is to find a decent dealer and borrow speakers off your short list at home for at least a week to demo in your own home under different conditions, you all know how it is, one day you come home not in the mood and tired the next full of energy, last thing you want is to spend this sort of money then after a few weeks discover you cant listen to them for long periods becasue they are fatiguing on your ears.

Mr. Mike,

You raise some valid points there and at this sort of money it is better to be sure that the speaker is the right one. So far I have to admit did not explore that road very much.
The only downside is that my local dealers (within 30 miles don’t have the stuff I am looking for) and I have to check with some London dealer if they are happy to do that .

Thanks again.
 
Hi,

Monitor Audio Platinum range is being rolled out to dealers over the next few weeks. A soft launch throughout the summer in oveaseas markets coupled with a high demand has outstripped production capacity. These are slow and complicated to build with every speaker having to go through the R&D test and anechoic facilities.

I would recommend you go see them in the flesh. I can guanrantee, there is nothing currently on the market for this price with this kind of performance and finish quality.

The new MA website will be up and running in the next few days. But you can check out the Platinum Microsite at:-http://www.platinumseries.co.uk/

I would give Karen a call at MA to check which dealers have them. 01268 740580

Cheers,


Dean
 
Have you thought about listening to a pair of Tannoy Prestige Glenair 15's with a set of ST200's on the top of each. I don't hear a lot of people talking about them, but they seem to be within your price range, and they are certainly handsome.

Please let me know what you think if you have already heard them.

Thanks,
Aaron
 
Sonus Faber (obvious choice for me,as SF owner and I know where to find the best demo in London as well)

Where would that be, please-may check it out if they also demo the less expensive models!:D
 
Where would that be, please-may check it out if they also demo the less expensive models!:D

KJ WestOne IMO. They have a variety of SF models ranging from the Domus wall up to the Stradivari.
 
Thanks, I am actually trying to audition the slimline Opera Callas SP there- always keeps coming from Italy, but never quite makes it!

Sorry this is a bit off topic- but Opera do also make beautifully crafted £4k speakers!
 

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